


Like A Kick To The Heart

by mammothluv



Category: One Life to Live
Genre: F/F, Femslash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-14
Updated: 2010-06-14
Packaged: 2017-10-10 02:55:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/94699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mammothluv/pseuds/mammothluv
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set just before the Wednesday 6/9/10 episode.  Blair accompanies Téa to a treatment.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Like A Kick To The Heart

**Author's Note:**

> One Life to Live belongs to the show creators and ABC. I'm not making any profit and no copyright infringement is intended.

For the past fifteen minutes, Téa's been doing her absolute best to kick Blair out of her hospital room. It's a testament to Blair's stubborn will that she's lasted this long. The campaign has included several bouts of foul language and classic Téa Delgado death stares. Blair thought they were past this much hostility in their relationship but it's familiar enough that it's not exactly surprising.

"I didn't spend a half hour in the waiting room while you got your radiation just so you could kick me out when I'm actually allowed to keep you company," Blair protests.

Despite having the option of an actual bed in the room, Téa has chosen a chair in which she is sitting straight up. Blair assumes the choice was made for maximum glaring potential as Téa currently directing the full power of her glare in Blair's direction. Even with a blanket on her lap and an IV in her arm, Téa can look more imposing than most people.

Fortunately, Blair can hold her own. It's not in her nature to back down from anyone, especially Téa. They remain that way, eyes locked on one another, for several minutes. The only sound in the room is the slow drip of Téa's IV.

It's Téa who breaks the silence. "I don't need supervision," she practically hisses. "I'm here. That's all you want, right? So can't you go annoy someone else for an hour and let me sit here in peace?"

Téa's tone is scathing enough that Blair considers leaving, not because she's actually intimidated but because Téa's being irritating. But then Blair notices the shudders Téa is trying desperately to hide, the way Téa's hand is clenching the arm of her chair so hard that Téa's knuckles have turned white. She knows Téa hates showing weakness, especially to her but there's something in Blair that refuses to let her leave when Téa's so obviously hurting. Instead, she pulls another chair as close to Téa's as she can get and sits down.

"I'm staying so you might as well just shut up and stop trying to pretend you aren't sick," Blair states firmly. She watches helplessly as Téa squeezes her eyes shut, the pain evident on her features. Not that she'd wish this on even her worst enemy but Blair longs for the simplicity of the days when she enjoyed watching Téa suffer.

"Oh, fine. I should have known you wouldn't take a hint," Téa says but she sounds resigned, not angry. "I hope this doesn't keep up. I need to get to the police station as soon as I'm done."

"The police station? Don't tell me Todd's done something to get his bail revoked already. That's got to be a record even for him," Blair says incredulously.

The comment earns a small chuckle from Téa. "No, not Todd. I'm representing Markko Rivera. They've arrested him for the assault on Robert Ford."

Blair sighs. Of course Téa has accepted yet another client, she's only got brain cancer after all. "You know, the reasonable response to illness is to lighten your workload, Téa, not to take on as many clients as humanly possible."

"Tell that to the Llanview PD. They're the ones railroading my client with hardly any evidence to back up their ridiculous accusations." Her voice is quiet but Téa's anger is evident. She slaps the arm of her chair for emphasis.

"Okay, okay. No need to get all hostile lawyer on me. I'm just saying it would be wise to take it easy."

A nurse enters the room, silencing whatever reply Téa was about to make. She glances at Téa's IV bag and then is gone as quickly as she entered. Blair wonders idly if they pop in and stare at something every once in awhile just to make the patient feel like something is happening because, once the IV is hooked up, this part of Téa's treatments amounts to a whole lot of sitting around. Honestly, Téa should be grateful she has someone here to irritate her and pass the time.

Téa resumes their conversation as soon as the door closes behind the exiting nurse. She says calmly but firmly, "Blair, I don't have that much time left. I intend to spend the time I do have protecting the people I care about. Markko's a good kid and this is a serious charge. He needs someone in his corner."

"I'm not arguing that point Téa. I just don't see why it has to be you." Téa's responding glare is almost murderous and Blair throws up her hands in defeat. "Okay, okay. I'll drop it."

Téa has the decency to look at least a little guilty. "Alright," she says, shifting in her chair to tuck her feet under her and finally looking a little more relaxed. "I'll save my arguments for McBain. Lets talk about something else."

"Like what?" Blair leans back in her chair and stares at the ceiling, leaving the start of any new conversation up to Téa since all of Blair's attempts at conversation so far have only provoked Téa's ire.

A few moments later, Téa seems to have settled on a topic. She sounds quite pleased with herself when she says, "I hear you sang at Bo and Nora's wedding. I'm surprised they let you anywhere near the church. Did they make you take a breathalyzer at the door?"

"Very funny. Go ahead and take your shot. You aren't original, you know. Everyone's brought it up." Blair recognizes the taunting for the distraction it is and she's happy to play along if it helps. She turns her head to look at Téa who has an amused smirk on her face. Blair tries to remember when exactly she started to like the way Téa looks when she smiles.

"Well Blair, when you get wasted and crash someone's wedding, you need to accept the fact that you're going to be mocked for it on occasion. You drunk and sitting on my lap after dramatically interrupting Nora, Clint, Viki and Charlie's wedding is a fond memory for me." Téa pauses to dramatically wipe a fake tear from her eye. "I'm sure it's a memory Nora also treasures. There are probably several pages dedicated to you in her wedding scrapbook."

"Ha, ha. You're insufferable, you know. Why am I here again?" Blair asks with mock indignation.

But Téa's reply is serious. "Excellent question. I've wondered myself."

Téa's looking at Blair like she's trying to figure her out. Her tone isn't harsh but Blair can't help the defensiveness of her next statement. "You shouldn't have to do this alone and, since you're too damn fool to tell anyone else, here I am. I mean what if you need something and the nurses aren't nearby?"

"I have a call button," Téa says. She roles her eyes but her voice is teasing.

"It's not the same," Blair replies softly.

"Oh my God," Téa says, each syllable long and drawn out.

"What? What is it?" Blair writes it off as instinct that she's reaching out to feel Téa's forehead before she can even think whether it's the appropriate response. It's not of course, both because such concerned gestures usually only serve to piss Téa off and because this isn't anything that can be helped with a cool hand on a forehead and soothing words.

Téa swats Blair's hand away. "No, I don't feel any worse." Her next words are almost accusatory. "It's just.... You've actually started to like me. You're going to miss me when I'm gone."

"You're delusional, Delgado," Blair huffs in response. "Whatever medication you're on has gone to your head. Any affection you think I may have for you, you have clearly hallucinated."

For a long time, Téa's only response is a satisfied grin. Then suddenly she gasps. One hand flies to her mouth as a wave of nausea hits.

Without thinking, Blair grabs Téa's other hand. The protest Blair expects doesn't come. Instead Téa allows her fingers to curl around Blair's own, her hand squeezing Blair's tightly until the worst passes. Then Téa loosens her grip but doesn't let go so neither does Blair.

There's something, an emotion, that grips Blair in response. This isn't the first time in the past weeks that she's felt it. It's heavy in her chest and it feels almost like love. The emotion is so foreign to her when directed at Téa that sometimes it makes Blair want to jump out of her own skin.

It's rough; it doesn't fit. But it's there.

Téa's right, Blair thinks. She's going to miss her when she's gone.


End file.
